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Dungeness Crab

Dungeness crab

This favourite west coast crustacean is delivered directly from our boats to the store year round, always fresh – and competitively priced. Come in and check out our live tanks – they’re great entertainment for the kids while you shop! Live, cleaned or cooked, we will package your crab in ice for the trip home.

The Dungeness crab(Metacarcinus magister, formerly Cancer magister) is light reddish brown in colour with white markings resembling the profile of a wolf on the top shell. When cooked, the shell turns bright orange. While a male Dungeness crab can grow to a shell width of 230 mm (9 inches), the minimum size limit for commercial harvest in British Columbia is 165 mm (6 1/2 inches) across the maximum breadth of the shell. Most Dungeness crab weigh between 680 grams (1 1/2 lbs) and 1.4 kg (3 lbs). In some areas of the BC coast Dungeness crab is harvested year round, while other areas observe soft shell closures during moulting season.Size limits, trap limits and non-retention of females are the primary conservation measures in place in the Dungeness crab fishery. In BC, the fishery is considered sustainable due to effective management and low incidental catch of non-target species.

Dungeness crab preparation

The best results are from fresh, live crab. Once the crab is dead ammonia is produced. Only buy crab that is active. The livelier the better!

We always recommend either killing or stunning the crab before cooking. You can do this with a quick, sharp blow to the underside of the crab or by lifting the flap on the underside and plunging a sharp knife into the abdomen. You then have the option to clean the crab prior to cooking by gently prying off the top shell and removing the feathery gills and the viscera.

Alternatively, we are always happy to clean your live crab for you when you buy it.

Cooking your crab

In a large pot bring to a boil enough water to steam but not immerse the crab, about 1 1/2″ or so. When the water reaches a boil, place your crab in the pot with the exposed meat out of the water; lid the pot. When the water returns to the boil, steam cleaned crab for 7 minutes, or whole crab for 12. Rinse under cold water to halt the cooking process. Ready to eat or cool & shuck the crab, saving the meat for your favourite recipes.

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We have finally opened our doors – just in time for the holiday season! Thank you to all our customers who made our first week such a success. We so appreciate your support and look forward to meeting many more of you in the weeks to come. Best wishes to you all for 2017.